20.004——Near Disaster #1: ~1981 we were at Dollywood on a “world-record crowd” day; It was wall-to-wall people, “’Scuse me, pardon me!” every second. We were just about to cross the railroad tracks when the gates suddenly came down and stopped us. At that moment I looked up and saw that our 5-year-old son Greg had somehow grabbed the wrong dad’s hand. He was on the other side of the tracks, walking happily, speedily away from me. I yelled as loud as I could for him to stop. He heard me and began to move back toward us. I was afraid he might try to cross the tracks and be hit by the train. Thankfully he heard my cries and waited for the train to pass and for me to reach him. All of us were overjoyed to be reunited.

Greg wasn’t exactly “lost.” But he was in danger because he had let go of his father and wandered away, much like the Prodigal Son in the Bible. Anyone who deliberately or accidentally turns away from God the Father and goes his/her way is in serious trouble. When trouble comes, run towards God, NOT away!